Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next v3 13/14] net: bridge: mcast: use combined active state in fast/data path

From: Nikolay Aleksandrov <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2026 15:02:22 +0200

On Mon, Mar 02, 2026 at 06:40:07AM +0100, Linus Lüssing wrote:
> As the multicast active state variable is now always up to date and
> functionally equivalent to our manual, extensive checks in fast path
> we can just use this state variable in fast path, too. This allows to
> save some CPU cycles for every multicast packet in the fast/data path.
> 
> Next to using brmctx->ip4_active / brmctx->ip6_active in fast path this
> mostly just moves some code around to not expose it via br_private.h
> anymore. While at it now also passing the ethernet protocol number
> directly, instead of a pointer into the ethernet header.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Linus Lüssing <[email-masked]>
> ---
>  net/bridge/br_device.c    |  3 ++-
>  net/bridge/br_input.c     |  3 ++-
>  net/bridge/br_multicast.c | 41 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----
>  net/bridge/br_private.h   | 38 ++++++++----------------------------
>  4 files changed, 48 insertions(+), 37 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/net/bridge/br_device.c b/net/bridge/br_device.c
> index ee01122f466f..1ac363826b4c 100644
> --- a/net/bridge/br_device.c
> +++ b/net/bridge/br_device.c
> @@ -102,7 +102,8 @@ netdev_tx_t br_dev_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev)
>  
>  		mdst = br_mdb_entry_skb_get(brmctx, skb, vid);
>  		if ((mdst || BR_INPUT_SKB_CB_MROUTERS_ONLY(skb)) &&
> -		    br_multicast_querier_exists(brmctx, eth_hdr(skb), mdst))
> +		    br_multicast_snooping_active(brmctx, eth_hdr(skb)->h_proto,
> +						 mdst))
>  			br_multicast_flood(mdst, skb, brmctx, false, true);
>  		else
>  			br_flood(br, skb, BR_PKT_MULTICAST, false, true, vid);
> diff --git a/net/bridge/br_input.c b/net/bridge/br_input.c
> index 1405f1061a54..e79963e3d05f 100644
> --- a/net/bridge/br_input.c
> +++ b/net/bridge/br_input.c
> @@ -187,7 +187,8 @@ int br_handle_frame_finish(struct net *net, struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb
>  	case BR_PKT_MULTICAST:
>  		mdst = br_mdb_entry_skb_get(brmctx, skb, vid);
>  		if ((mdst || BR_INPUT_SKB_CB_MROUTERS_ONLY(skb)) &&
> -		    br_multicast_querier_exists(brmctx, eth_hdr(skb), mdst)) {
> +		    br_multicast_snooping_active(brmctx, eth_hdr(skb)->h_proto,
> +						 mdst)) {
>  			if ((mdst && mdst->host_joined) ||
>  			    br_multicast_is_router(brmctx, skb) ||
>  			    br->dev->flags & IFF_ALLMULTI) {
> diff --git a/net/bridge/br_multicast.c b/net/bridge/br_multicast.c
> index 715a0e0aa5ad..4a1005bb68f1 100644
> --- a/net/bridge/br_multicast.c
> +++ b/net/bridge/br_multicast.c
> @@ -1067,6 +1067,26 @@ static struct sk_buff *br_ip4_multicast_alloc_query(struct net_bridge_mcast *brm
>  	return skb;
>  }
>  
> +static bool
> +__br_multicast_querier_exists(struct net_bridge_mcast *brmctx,
> +			      struct bridge_mcast_other_query *querier,
> +			      bool is_ipv6)
> +{
> +	bool own_querier_enabled;
> +
> +	if (brmctx->multicast_querier) {
> +		if (is_ipv6 && !br_opt_get(brmctx->br, BROPT_HAS_IPV6_ADDR))
> +			own_querier_enabled = false;
> +		else
> +			own_querier_enabled = true;
> +	} else {
> +		own_querier_enabled = false;
> +	}
> +
> +	return !timer_pending(&querier->delay_timer) &&
> +	       (own_querier_enabled || timer_pending(&querier->timer));
> +}
> +
>  static bool br_ip4_multicast_querier_exists(struct net_bridge_mcast *brmctx)
>  {
>  	return __br_multicast_querier_exists(brmctx, &brmctx->ip4_other_query, false);
> @@ -1079,6 +1099,21 @@ static bool br_ip6_multicast_querier_exists(struct net_bridge_mcast *brmctx)
>  }
>  #endif
>  
> +static bool
> +br_multicast_querier_exists(struct net_bridge_mcast *brmctx, u16 proto)
> +{
> +	switch (proto) {
> +	case ETH_P_IP:
> +		return br_ip4_multicast_querier_exists(brmctx);
> +#if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_IPV6)
> +	case ETH_P_IPV6:
> +		return br_ip6_multicast_querier_exists(brmctx);
> +#endif
> +	default:
> +		return false;
> +	}
> +}
> +
>  static void br_ip4_multicast_update_active(struct net_bridge_mcast *brmctx,
>  					   bool force_inactive)
>  {
> @@ -5132,7 +5167,6 @@ bool br_multicast_has_querier_anywhere(struct net_device *dev, int proto)
>  {
>  	struct net_bridge *br;
>  	struct net_bridge_port *port;
> -	struct ethhdr eth;
>  	bool ret = false;
>  
>  	rcu_read_lock();
> @@ -5145,10 +5179,7 @@ bool br_multicast_has_querier_anywhere(struct net_device *dev, int proto)
>  
>  	br = port->br;
>  
> -	memset(&eth, 0, sizeof(eth));
> -	eth.h_proto = htons(proto);
> -
> -	ret = br_multicast_querier_exists(&br->multicast_ctx, &eth, NULL);
> +	ret = br_multicast_querier_exists(&br->multicast_ctx, proto);
>  
>  unlock:
>  	rcu_read_unlock();
> diff --git a/net/bridge/br_private.h b/net/bridge/br_private.h
> index 8150ecc2c919..75684f8079f2 100644
> --- a/net/bridge/br_private.h
> +++ b/net/bridge/br_private.h
> @@ -1159,37 +1159,15 @@ br_multicast_is_router(struct net_bridge_mcast *brmctx, struct sk_buff *skb)
>  }
>  
>  static inline bool
> -__br_multicast_querier_exists(struct net_bridge_mcast *brmctx,
> -			      struct bridge_mcast_other_query *querier,
> -			      const bool is_ipv6)
> +br_multicast_snooping_active(struct net_bridge_mcast *brmctx, __be16 eth_proto,

const brmctx

> +			     const struct net_bridge_mdb_entry *mdb)
>  {
> -	bool own_querier_enabled;
> -
> -	if (brmctx->multicast_querier) {
> -		if (is_ipv6 && !br_opt_get(brmctx->br, BROPT_HAS_IPV6_ADDR))
> -			own_querier_enabled = false;
> -		else
> -			own_querier_enabled = true;
> -	} else {
> -		own_querier_enabled = false;
> -	}
> -
> -	return !timer_pending(&querier->delay_timer) &&
> -	       (own_querier_enabled || timer_pending(&querier->timer));
> -}
> -
> -static inline bool br_multicast_querier_exists(struct net_bridge_mcast *brmctx,
> -					       struct ethhdr *eth,
> -					       const struct net_bridge_mdb_entry *mdb)
> -{
> -	switch (eth->h_proto) {
> +	switch (eth_proto) {
>  	case (htons(ETH_P_IP)):

since you're changing it, could you please remove the extra ()?
they're unnecessary and don't help readability

> -		return __br_multicast_querier_exists(brmctx,
> -			&brmctx->ip4_other_query, false);
> +		return READ_ONCE(brmctx->ip4_active);
>  #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_IPV6)
>  	case (htons(ETH_P_IPV6)):
> -		return __br_multicast_querier_exists(brmctx,
> -			&brmctx->ip6_other_query, true);
> +		return READ_ONCE(brmctx->ip6_active);
>  #endif
>  	default:
>  		return !!mdb && br_group_is_l2(&mdb->addr);
> @@ -1448,9 +1426,9 @@ static inline bool br_multicast_is_router(struct net_bridge_mcast *brmctx,
>  	return false;
>  }
>  
> -static inline bool br_multicast_querier_exists(struct net_bridge_mcast *brmctx,
> -					       struct ethhdr *eth,
> -					       const struct net_bridge_mdb_entry *mdb)
> +static inline bool
> +br_multicast_snooping_active(struct net_bridge_mcast *brmctx, __be16 eth_proto,
> +			     const struct net_bridge_mdb_entry *mdb)
>  {
>  	return false;
>  }
> -- 
> 2.51.0
>